Hypnotherapy at YouFusion
Hypnotherapy uses relaxation, attentional focus and imagination to engage the extraordinary resources of our unconscious mind – allowing us to heal, learn and grow.
Our waking, thinking “conscious” mind is just a fraction of who we are. The unconscious is where our creativity comes from, where we store our memories, the “truths” we’ve accepted about the world, and much more besides. Sometimes, it’s where we hide parts of our true self that we don’t quite feel safe, or allowed, to acknowledge.
Hypnotherapy allows us to explore the unconscious for deeper insight into what’s really going on for us. It also works the other way, allowing us to “re-seed” the unconscious with ideas, beliefs, feelings and “habits of thought” that can help us thrive in waking life. In hypnosis, we can imagine new ways of being so vividly that they take root within us and feed into our day-to-day thoughts and actions.
There’s enough scientific research on hypnosis to fill a whole library, and that body of scholarship continues to grow. That said, hypnosis is actually a pretty ordinary phenomenon. There are endless varieties of hypnotic state, and we drift in and out of them several times a day. In each case, some mental functions become sharper, more fully on-stream, while others “take a back seat”. Here are some of my favourite examples:
- Ever been so immersed in a book, film or task that the rest of the world seemed to fade away, and you didn’t notice time pass? That’s a form of hypnosis.
- When we drive a car, we tend not to notice the actual “action” of driving – clutch control, acceleration, scanning for hazards, etc. Instead, our thoughts wander free while our unconscious expertly handles those vital tasks. That’s a form of hypnosis.
- I’ve watched my small nephew lean on a bridge above a brook, gazing entranced for minutes on end at the swirls and reflections flowing below. When we at last walk on, he voices an endless stream of new ideas, fresh from his unconscious. Yup. Hypnosis.
Hypnotherapy, then, is simply the intentional use of these natural abilities to learn and change at a deep level. In trance, our conscious and unconscious minds come to meet each other like two great oceans, allowing new psychological insights to emerge, new beliefs to be embedded, new realities to be imagined and new connections to be made.
Hypnotherapist and client work creatively and safely together to meet the client’s agreed goals, using whatever comes up in their sessions together.
There are many unhelpful myths about hypnosis, thanks in no small part to the antics of stage hypnotists and the fictional portrayal of hypnotists in books, films and TV. I hope these FAQs help to bust those myths! If you have any other questions about hypnosis, please do get in touch and I’ll be happy to help.
What does hypnosis feel like?
Most clients report a deep, enjoyable feeling of relaxation during and after a hypnotic induction, and a reinvigorated feeling afterwards. That said, everyone’s experience of hypnosis is unique to them, so the only way to know for sure is to try it.
Will I be under the hypnotherapist’s control?
No. Hypnosis is something you and the therapist do together, not something the therapist “does to you”. You never relinquish control, and you can’t be made to do or think anything that doesn’t sit right with you. Even in the deepest trance, you’re still aware of your true surroundings and can “wake up” at any time if needed.
Is it safe?
Yes. As above, you’re always fully in control of what’s happening and able to emerge from hypnosis at will if you want to, and the vast majority of therapy takes place a lighter level of trance. If we’re working online, there are some extra considerations to be aware of, but we’ll make sure these are covered before starting work together.
